Shadow Tempest

Tempest

It can happen anywhere.

Whether in the heart of a Primal Reality, or the diminished fragments of a Shadow depleted of its vitality. While the observer may not always recognize its forms as familiar, with understanding comes an awareness of Tempest. Whether its caress brings the promise of spring returning to the land, or its madness dashes your frail plans against the rocks of overextended ambition, this power is best studied by those who are canny and pragmatic.

Tempest is a resultant power of Reality. Because Reality is really the unordered absence of the Void, there is the Tempest. Mark this well. Reality is not a creation of a single purpose with a theme or an artistry that gives it an unflinching wonder. Reality is nasty. Reality has rough spots. Powers in opposition. Shadows erupting with vast powers and bizarre demi-planes of plunging entropy. Shadow Storms that may sweep an entire civilization into extinction. When powers collide, they engender between them a buffer of raw ruptured discord.

Tempest is the ragged breath of Reality in living turmoil.

Tempest Partial Powers

Tempest Basic Initiation

Points: 5

Prerequisite: None save the Endurance to survive exposure. Sometimes called the Seduction of the Storm. Also called the Kiss of the Tempest.

Ability: Initiate gains an additional sense and becomes aware of the edges between natural, magical, and primal powers in ranging proximity. Unlike Mage Sight, this sense is tactile and requires concentration to ignore. All contests of power become obvious when felt out. They swirl and storm to the degree of the powers involved. The relative nature of the confrontation is clear, if not the powers themselves. If the initiate has strong perceptions, these contests may exhibit familiar qualities and the initiate can expect to understand what powers lie behind the edges of the confrontation exposed in Tempest energy.

Initiate gains some enhanced resistance to energy/power conflicts due to their Tempest understanding. Enough to enhance Endurance and/or Good Stuff, not enough to overcome Bad Stuff.

Tempest Advantage

Points: 5

Prerequisite: Basic Initiation

Ability: Initiate gains extended ability to "soak up" or "surf" conflicting power energies. The Tempest now is understood well enough for the Initiate to take advantage of the discord of energies to charge an item, a prepared enchantment, or a mystic ability.

During a Tempest effect, the warp and weave of a Tempest may be scattered and turned against others in line of sight as a weapon. Note that the Tempest can never be eliminated by tapping it in this manner, but it may be reduced to the level where there is no surplus energy to redirect.

Tempest Genesis

Points: 10

Prerequisite: Basic Initiation

Ability: Initiate gains ability to create The Tempest. Genesis is entirely dependant on finding two other sources of nearby power, no matter how mild, or how powerful.

The Tempest effect has a direct, and sometimes unpredictable, realtion to the sources used to create the Tempest. Manifestation can conform to local standards, such as an earthquake or a lightning storm, or be manipulated to higher levels.

The Tempest is raw ruptured discord in action. Whatever form it takes can have secondary effects on everything around the Initiate, especially, uninitiated bystanders.

Tempest Attune

Points: 5

Prerequisite: Tempest Advantage

Ability: Initiate gains ability to become the Eye of The Tempest. The Tempest will use the Initiate as the pole of alignment for the local effect. The Initiate may therefore control the local Tempest effect in relation to the locale.

The Tempest has no adverse effect on the Initiate and the initiate's immediate surround. As the Initiate moves, they move the site of the Tempest strife with them. At this level of mastery, the Initiate may quell the Tempest. If the forces in discord are still present, the Tempest effect will resume after a lull, but if the Tempest was caused by momentary opposition, the quell will negate the Tempest.

An Initiate Attuned to the Tempest, may also "sail" the Tempest effect. Where a "surfed" Tempest gives limited control of direction and always proceeds to minimum Tempest effect, a Tempest "sailed" by a Attuned Initiate may travel under power within the limits of any locale compatible to the powers that created the Tempest effect. If one of the generating powers was Primal, such as Pattern or Logrus, the Eye of the Tempest may break Shadow boundries and become a true Shadow Storm.